It's ruined my life': Hundreds tell BBC how medication triggered gambling

[acroman08]

The article doesn't say when people started gambling and when they started taking the medication. This would be very important information to understand if people took pills and then felt the urge to gamble, or if they were already involved in gambling and only then took the pills. An addicted person will always use some external reason to escape their responsibility. I know the article blames the medication, but would someone who has never been involved in gambling immediately create an account at a casino and become addicted upon taking the pill?

I don't think it happens like that, it might be gradual or something. Also, gambling addiction wasn't the only possible side effect of the drugs, one of them is sex addiction, and in the article, it was mentioned(this might be triggering or offensive) that a grandfather sexually assaulted his granddaughter and was acquitted on the grounds that he was taking the medication that increases dopamine activity, it was also mentioned in the article that there been legal cases that have been placed asking for compensation because of the destructive side effects of the medication. There is also a study that has been done about medications that increase dopamine, and their side effects.

[alani123]

It's odd how some drugs can have crazy confirmed side effects and remain approved.
Take Adderall for instance. The side effects sheet is like a scroll. The benefits maybe are t even outweighed by the negatives in most people.

And yet it's a drug that is widely prescribed.
Makes me wonder why some drugs were ever even approved.

[Orpichukwu]

I just thinks continuous the use of chemicals can leads to addiction. Prescribed medication shouldn't be taken for life, but only to manages pain.

I don't know much about drugs or pharmaceuticals. But taking drugs for certain periods of time will clearly gives an effect on the body. But if we are not involving with gambling, we shouldn't becomes addicted to it.

There are people who are just living their daily life on doctor-prescribed drugs; if not daily, they take them often because they keep them going, and there might not have been any permanent ways discovered to help solve their problem. In such a case, the doctor should always look at the long-term effect of such drugs if it's more than the result the patient wants to get by consuming such drugs.

[TopT3ns]

I just thinks continuous the use of chemicals can leads to addiction. Prescribed medication shouldn't be taken for life, but only to manages pain.

I don't know much about drugs or pharmaceuticals. But taking drugs for certain periods of time will clearly gives an effect on the body. But if we are not involving with gambling, we shouldn't becomes addicted to it.

There are people who are just living their daily life on doctor-prescribed drugs; if not daily, they take them often because they keep them going, and there might not have been any permanent ways discovered to help solve their problem. In such a case, the doctor should always look at the long-term effect of such drugs if it's more than the result the patient wants to get by consuming such drugs.

The need to take medication every day should be attended to with special care to ensure that maximum benefits are achieved without jeopardising the future health condition. The doctor element plays an important role in assessing any chemical hazard posed by the prolonged use by the patients. We know that there is still a major hope of a permanent medical fix in the midst of the physically draining battle. Safety of the patient should be the priority of all.

[vanesha]

The medication this doctor prescribed is so dangerous. I'm a little confused as to why a doctor would dare prescribe a medication that increases dopamine levels to such a level. A patient who loses self-control will only worsen their condition. This kind of thing actually makes us even more afraid of going to the hospital.

[fullfitlarry]

The medication this doctor prescribed is so dangerous. I'm a little confused as to why a doctor would dare prescribe a medication that increases dopamine levels to such a level. A patient who loses self-control will only worsen their condition. This kind of thing actually makes us even more afraid of going to the hospital.

It's double edge medicine, and the doctors or the medical world would have known the side effects of it.

On reason is that it's a big business to begin with, we have seen powerful medicine companies being a lobbyist even in the US. So they have this kind of influence that no one dares to question. And it's not a first time that drugs has been exposed but nothing changes, I guess this is the world we live it. Powerful entities has the control.

[Darker45]

The side effects seem alarming if scientifically proven. The drug should be pulled out from every pharmacy and professionals should cease prescribing it. Perhaps the pharmaceutical companies releasing it should go back to the drawing board. Their drugs might indeed cause side effects that are even more problematic than the illness it supposed to address.

But it seems I'm worried more about extreme urge to have sex than increase in shopping or gambling. It might result to rape cases. Shopping centers and casinos could be avoided if you're aware of the tendency after taking the drug. But if you can't control it you aren't necessarily committing a crime.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

The medication this doctor prescribed is so dangerous. I'm a little confused as to why a doctor would dare prescribe a medication that increases dopamine levels to such a level. A patient who loses self-control will only worsen their condition. This kind of thing actually makes us even more afraid of going to the hospital.

And have even tried verifying if this news is indeed real or a fake news? I know the article is right there on BBC but the world we live in today, I fact check every thing both things I see on big and small site because any news company can lie for any thing, could be for traffic and money and just about anything.

But also, this is not to rule out the fact that it might to true as well, then there would be the possibility the drug in question is new and simply being tested to see how the drug will react in the human body.
But all the same, I am still wondering to what level a person's dopamine can be raised to and he or she loses total control of himself?

[Strongkored]

Every medication has side effects, but if the effects lead to gambling addiction, it's best to stop the medication temporarily until a doctor can recommend another medication.
However, based on the woman's report, there should be many other reports, as dopamine is also used by many doctors to prescribe to their patients.

[cryptoaddictchie]

As I searched for this drug, Ropinirole is a medicine often given for Restless Legs Syndrome, and it works by increasing a brain chemical linked to pleasure and reward. But for some people, that boost can go too far and trigger strong urges like gambling, overspending, or unusually high sexual desire. Many patients don’t immediately realize the medication is causing these changes, which can lead to serious personal or financial problems. It shows why doctors need to clearly warn patients about possible behavior changes, not just physical side effects.

[Zlantann]

There are people who are just living their daily life on doctor-prescribed drugs; if not daily, they take them often because they keep them going, and there might not have been any permanent ways discovered to help solve their problem. In such a case, the doctor should always look at the long-term effect of such drugs if it's more than the result the patient wants to get by consuming such drugs.

Some people would die in less than 24hours without taking certain medication. So the argument that people should avoid some drugs is not correct. In medicine, if it has been proven that the benefits of a certain drug are greater than the risks, it would be prescribed. I think many patients will prefer to deal with addiction rather than suffer pain and other discomforts. But the issue in this case is that some doctors are not explaining the effects of these drugs to the users. I guess they would have taken some precautions if they had been warned of the side effects.

Every medication has side effects, but if the effects lead to gambling addiction, it's best to stop the medication temporarily until a doctor can recommend another medication.
However, based on the woman's report, there should be many other reports, as dopamine is also used by many doctors to prescribe to their patients.

The problem is that some sicknesses don't have many drug substitutes or varieties. Patients have to stick to the few available drugs even when the effects are serious. However, doctors are to expose the effects to people so that they can be prepared to face them.

[Orpichukwu]

There are people who are just living their daily life on doctor-prescribed drugs; if not daily, they take them often because they keep them going, and there might not have been any permanent ways discovered to help solve their problem. In such a case, the doctor should always look at the long-term effect of such drugs if it's more than the result the patient wants to get by consuming such drugs.

But the issue in this case is that some doctors are not explaining the effects of these drugs to the users. I guess they would have taken some precautions if they had been warned of the side effects.

And this is exactly where the governing body or healthcare organisation are supposed to come in to make sure the life of the patient is taken very seriously. Every doctor and pharmacist should be mandated to make sure the patient knows what they are being given and the effect of it before they consume it. If possible, there should be some consent form signed between the patient and the doctor before certain drugs can be approved for them.

[Wakate]

This is the first time I am seeing drugs increase gamblers addiction which is something that is rare or impossible to believe.
There is no way you can become addicted to gambling when you have never gambled before. Those that are seen becoming addicted are already into gambling and maybe the drug only increases their urge to gamble too frequently. This must have been the case here and there is no way someone that has never gambled before will starts gambling immediately.

[Findingnemo]

This is the first time I am seeing drugs increase gamblers addiction which is something that is rare or impossible to believe.
There is no way you can become addicted to gambling when you have never gambled before. Those that are seen becoming addicted are already into gambling and maybe the drug only increases their urge to gamble too frequently. This must have been the case here and there is no way someone that has never gambled before will starts gambling immediately.

This is just a very twisted version, the drugs can make someone prone to the addiction that is possible but it is not even possible that it can force someone to start gambling and get addicted to it. As I said in my previous reply the dopamine should help with the gambling addiction not increase it and if that happens then it is due to the abuse of both gambling and drug lead to this.

[Sandra_hakeem]

The lesson learned was that ANY collateral effect must be clearly indicated in the label and physician must be aware of that.
Even if this seems "rare" or not directly related the risks involved is not something minor like the news linked above.
With crypto and bitcoin the risk could be higher ... this is why cold wallet/multisignatures/timelock are always the best solution for any player.

I think we should just live in the moment for now, cause this is taking a different shape, in a very difficult direction to control. If minor medications can trigger the system into these type of uncontrollable-urge syndrome so to speak, where are we going from here? Has anyone else taken out time to think of other strong and unrelated effect from this same drug? If, like you say, the risk involved is not something minor like the news linked above, what else have you found? Doesn't it have a shared effect on gentical mutilation?

[Odusko]

What we should know about drugs is that their side effects comes with heavy burden that needs to be careful examined before we take them, the best thing to do is to always study the side effects and all other things that is around the drug before taking them to avoid or control it addiction tendency and other side effects that will result from the drug intakes, but lastly gambling is something that is predetermined which means the patient in the case may already be a gambler before the application of the medication that increases his gambling urges.